Vehicle door handle



Jan. 9, 1923.

L. W. GATES. VEHICLE DOOR HANDLE.

FILED OCT-1,192].

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LOUIS W. GATES, OIIE NIEVV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOIR. TO 0. OOWLJES AND OOIVIJPANY, OT? NETN HAVEN, OONNEOTTOUT, it. CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

VEHICLE DOOJBD HANDLE.

Application fiIed October 1, 1921.

Z '0 all to 71, m 7125 may concern Be it known that T, LOUIS W. GATES, a citizen of the Unlted States, residing at New Haven, county of New Haven, Stateof Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Vehicle Door Handles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door handles and especially to handles for vehicle doors, and an object of the invention is to provide simple means for mounting the lock operating spindle that will allow easy manipulationv thereof Without accurate fitting, but which will at the same time be always tight and not become loose and rat tle after continued operation.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a central, vertical sectional elevation of one form of my device applied to a door i i i Fig. 2is a UL'tLIISVGISE section on sul1 stantially the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, i

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a slight modification, and

Fig. 4: is a transverse section substantially on line 4-4; of Fig. 3.

Tn the drawing represents the door provided with opening 11 for the lock operating spindle which comprises the usual square rod 12 connected to the inner end of the stem 13 of the handle 14, the stem be ing reduced at 15 to provide a bearing, and also a shoulder 16 providing means for limiting the inward movement of the spindle. Secured tothe surface of the door by suitable means as screws 17 is an escutcheon 17, provided with a bearing in which the reduced portion 15 of the stem is mounted to turn. .cscutcheon and bearing against the other member T mount a friction element 2].. l. preferably mount this element in the spindle, as shown. Tn the preferred form T drill a recess 22 in the spindle transversely from the surface thereof and insert in this recess, to rest against the bottom wall there of, a resilient member, preferably. a coiled spring 23. it then insert, in the recess on the top of this spring, a friction element 21, preferably a ball, which is pressed by the spring against the escutcheon. By this arrangement the reduced portion of the stem or spindle may be formed with a loose fit in the escutcheon, making it much cheaper in Fig. 3.

Tn either the spindle or the.

fierial No. 504,759.

to manufacture than would an accurate [it which would allow easy turning of the spindle without binding at certain parts of its revolution. The spring and ball reacting against the spindle and escutcheon compensate for any wear between the two elements and prevent rattling after the device has been in use for some time, but, at the same tlme, allow easy manipulation of the spin dle.

Tn order to make easy installation of the handle to the door and to compensate for any uneven surface of the door which would cause the handle to bind in the bearing if there was no adjustment of the escutcheon, I curve longitudinally either the bearing on the spindle, as shown at 26 in Fig. 1, or the bearing in the escutcheon, as shown at 27 This longitudinal curving allows an oscillatory movement f the escutcheon relative to the spindle, as will be obvious.

In the modified construction, shown in Figs. 3 and a, T have formed an annular, preferably SGIIli CllClllEtl, groove 5.24. in the bearing in the escutcheon in which the ball 21 moves as the handle is turned to operate the latch. I also provide at the top of the bearing a short groove leading from the outside of the escutcheon to the groove As the groove 24 is substantially semicircular when in position, the ball 21 is onehalf in the escutcheon and one-half in the soindle, as shown in Fig. 1, and securely holds the spindle from withdrawal from the esc utcheon. doing away with the stopcollar 26 usually employed. The spring 23 is so constructed as to provide a stop, to limit the distance the ball recedes into the spindle. This distance should be about onehalf the diameter f the ball, and. the spring acts as a stop when it is fully compressed. This stop is necessary in order to keep the handle from pulling out, except when the ball is brought into alignment with groove The ball 21, has, however, the same efiect as to preventing rattling, and so forth,

as in the form shown. in Figs. fl. and 2. By

turning the handle a quarter revolution, the ball 21 may be brought to alignment with the groove 25 and the spindle removed, the insertion of the spindle being the reverse of this action. Tf preferred, the elements may be reversed in this form as well as the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2', that ill) is, the spring and ball may be mounted in the escutcheon and the grooves 242 and 25 formed in the spindle.

It will be apparent the device is very simple in construction, comprising few parts, and Will be comparatively cheap to manufacture, as no accurate machining and fitting is required. Also that it not liable to get out of order.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1 A device of the class described conr prising an escutcheon, a lock operating spindle mounted to turn in. said escutcheon. friction means carried by the spindle and contacting with said escutcheon. said means being movable substantiall radially of the spindle and resilient means to hold said means in contact with said eseuteheon.

2. A. device or the class described comprising an escutcheon, a lock operating spindle mounted to tur in said escutcheon, one of said elements provided with a recess, a movable friction element in said recess and bearing against the other element, and aresilient means in the recess tor holding said friction element in contact with the other element.

3. A device of the class described com prising an escutcheon a lock operating spin.- dle mounted to turn in said escutcheon, one of said elements being provided, with a recess, ball in said recess, ans a resilient means in the recess to hold the ball in contact with the other elemen 4. A device of the class described comprising an escutcheoin a lock operating spin dle mounted to turn in said escutcheon, a recess in said spindle, a ball in said recess adapted to contact with a surface of the escutcheon, and movable substantially radially of the spindle and a spring in said recess to hold the ball against said escutcheon.

A device of the character described comprising an asoutcheon, lock operating spindle mounted to turn in said escutcheon,

friction means carried by one of said elements and movable in a direction substantially normal to the axis of rotation of the hold said lriclion meansagainst the ther element.

(3. A device of the rlmrznticr described coin 'n'ising an cscutcheou. a lock operating spindle mounted to turn in the L,S(llt(l10011, one of said members being provided with an annular groove and the other with a recess, a friction clement mounted in the recess and groove and resilient means teuding to press said :l'riction element into said groove.

7. A device of, the class described comprising an csrutrheon. a lock o mrul'iug mounted to turn in said cscnlrbrou, J .ei'ion clement carried by one o1: said. members. and resilient menus for pressing said element against the other member, said QLKDt being also arranged to prevent reioval oi the spindle.

8. A dcvivc of the class described co|uprising an cscultrheon. a lock operating spindle mounted to turn in said cscutcheon. one of sa d members being provided with it rece id (be other with an annular groove, a ll m element mounted partly in the recess and partly in the groove. said element being movable in a d rection subsi'nu normal to the axis of rotation of the :11 l a resilient menus in the re- L i said element in said groove.

. A device of the class describwl our rioiug :11! can uieheou, a loch operating spindle mounted to turn in said cscntcheou. said esruz'irlieon being prm'idm with an annular and the :5 id spindle with a recess, a .1 partly in the recess and partly in the groove. and a spring in the recess to press the ball into the groove.

10. A device of the character descrilmd n'ising an cscut'cheon. a lock operating ouutod to turn in said oscntcheon. oi? one of said members being lo .gitudinully thereof to allow an oscillatorv movement of the (fS4IliiCl10OIl on the spindle. a movable friction clement car ried in: one oi? said members. and wsilicut means for pressing said c ement against. the other member.

in testimony wllereof affix my signature.

LOUIS lV. GATES.

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